STAGE

PURPOSE

KEY PARTICIPANTS

A

Report:

‘Women Bishops in the Church of England?’

To provide material to open up debate.

To offer a range of perspectives and to clarify possible future

Options for the Church  

B

Take Note Motion

To allow General Synod to debate the issues addressed in the Report

General Synod

C

Paving Motion

To test the mind of the Synod on whether it wishes to set in train the process for removing the legal obstacles to the ordination of women to the episcopate and, if it does, to decide what the next steps should be including whether to appoint a Working Group.

General Synod

D

Work by Working Group

To analyse the options with regard to how women bishops might be introduced if  the decision was to do so.

Working Group

E

Decision by the General Synod on which option (if any) to adopt

To enable the Synod to decide  which option (if any) to adopt and, if appropriate, to establish a drafting group to prepare the necessary draft legislation

General Synod

F

Work by Drafting Group

To draw up draft legislation and any associated provision 

Drafting Group (which will become the Steering Committee for the draft legislation) appointed by Appointments Committee

G

First Consideration

To have a preliminary, general discussion of the draft legislation etc.

General Synod

H

Revision Committee Stage

To consider proposals for amendment of the draft legislation etc.

Revision Committee (appointed by Appointments Committee); members of General Synod and others

I

Revision Committee Report and Revision Stage

For General Synod to consider the draft legislation etc as revised by the Revision Committee and to decide whether or not to make further amendments or to refer it for a further Revision Stage.

General Synod

J

Article 8 reference to Dioceses

To enable dioceses to decide whether to approve the draft legislation or not.

General Synod Business Committee; Diocesan Synods

K

Diocesan processes (as agreed in individual dioceses) with the final votes being taken by the diocesan synods

To enable all who wish to be involved in decision making process

As agreed in dioceses – possibly deanery synods or open meetings.

L

Report by the Business Committee to the General Synod on the voting in the reference to the dioceses 

For Business Committee to  report to the General Synod on the voting in diocesan synods.

General Synod Business Committee

General Synod

M

Final Drafting Stage

To make any final amendments to the draft legislation etc

Steering Committee; General Synod

N

Referral to the House of Bishops

To enable the House of Bishops to consider whether further to amend the draft legislation etc and to approve it for Final Approval by the General Synod

House of Bishops

O

(Possibly) Reference to Convocations and the House of Laity 

To enable the Convocations (Bishops and Clergy) and House of Laity separately to decide whether to approve the  draft legislation etc.

Convocations of Canterbury and York;

House of Laity

P

Final Approval by General Synod

To decide whether or not to give Final Approval to the draft legislation etc

General Synod

(2/3 majority vote in each House needed)

Q

Consideration of Measure by the Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament

To consider whether or not to find the Measure ‘expedient’.

Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament

R

Approval of Measure by Parliament

To enable both Houses of Parliament to decide whether or not to approve the Measure

House of Commons and House of Lords

S

Royal Assent

To give the Measure the force of law

Monarch

T

Promulgation of any Canon or Canons

To give formal effect to any Canon or Canons which form part of the legislative package

General Synod